A New Beginning
by Nosedivefan01
Summary: It's a new beginning for Ryan. It's been five years since the fall of the Foot tower in the bay. Ryan has been living comfortably with the turtles all this time. But what happens when Ryan's nightmares return? Is it possible they mean something? Meanwhile, above ground an enemy lurks in the shadows. Can the turtles rise to this challenge? Official Sequel to "Generations to Come".
1. Beginning of the beginning

Summary: It's been five years since the fall of the Foot tower in the bay. Ryan has been living comfortably with the turtles all this time. But what happens when Ryan's nightmares return? Is it possible they mean something? Meanwhile, above ground an enemy lurks in the shadows. Can the turtles rise to this challenge?

* * *

The TV screen glowed in the dark room.

"Here we see the wreckage of the mysterious tower that fell in the bay." The reporter off screen stated as the camera panned over the tower. Ryan shuddered, remembering her time in and out of that terrible fortress. Suddenly, on the screen appeared the unmasked face of Oroku Jong.

"Ryang!" He shouted at her through the screen. She shrieked and jumped, startled. Suddenly, a hand came out of the tv, almost unreal as it came toward Ryan. She was frozen, unable to move. The hand was huge as it came down upon her. She let out a blood curdling scream.

* * *

"Ryan?" A half asleep Raph shot up as he rolled over in bed to see Ryan struggling beneath an unseen force.

"Ryan!" he found himself suddenly wide eyed awake as he shook her.

Her eyes shot open, her breath coming short and fast as she suddenly threw herself into his arms. He reacted quickly, wrapping his strong arms around her.

"Ryan? Babe? Talk to me." he said pulling her from his chest. "What's wrong?" he asked her, meeting her frightened eyes.

"It was him again." she said, a few tears running down her cheeks. He ran a thumb beneath her eyes, brushing away the tears.

"Oh babe." he said, pulling her back into him. "I swear, Ryan. He ain't never gonna get ya. Never. Not while I'm here." he found himself promising.

Eventually, Raphael was able to calm his poor frightened girlfriend and both of them retreated back to sleep.

Outside the door to their bedroom, Sensai stood rubbing his chin in thought.

"Oh dear." he finally muttered before walking away.

* * *

The next morning, Three turtles and an overgrown rat sat at the table in the kitchen.

"Where's Raph and Ryan?" Leo asked, looking at the two empty chairs.

"I fear your brother and Ryan had a tough time sleeping last night." Sensai said with seriousness.

Mikey snickered in his chair before getting slapped on the back of the head by Leo.

"What do you mean, Sensai?" Leo asked.

"Ryan had another nightmare last night." he explained, looking down.

The boys gasped, staring at sensai.

"But... She hasn't had the nightmares since..." Leo trailed off, still baffled at the newfound information.

"Yes my son, I know." Sensai said, knowing what his eldest was trying to say.

Donnie only looked down, taking it all in. Mikey looked around at everybody's face.

"Since what?" Mikey asked, dumbfounded.

"Since her father was around." Donnie explained to the youngest.

"Oh... that's deep man." Mikey commented, finally getting it.

"If she's having these nightmares again, Sensai... is it possible that..." Leo trailed off his question, hearing footsteps coming down the stairs.

Raph entered the kitchen with a yawn before going to the fridge and taking a huge gulp from the milk carton. He then proceeded to prepare himself a bowl of cereal.

"Where's Ryan?" Donnie asked.

"Sleeping. Figured it best to let her sleep." Raph commented. They remained in silence for a moment before Raph spoke again.

"She uh... She had a pretty bad nightmare last night." he explained further. "I want her to get some sleep" he added simply. He recieved a gentle hand on the shoulder from his father who smiled and nodded at him.

* * *

The room was dark with one chair sitting in the middle of it. One wall was lined completely with screens.

"Sir? What are you thinking?" asked his second in command.

The man made no movement with his head, but his eyes came to rest on one of the many screens which showed a report from five years ago, investigating the odd tower that had appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm thinking it's time."

"Time sir? Time for what?" asked the second in command in confusion.

"Revenge!" The man growled, throwing a knife at the screen, landing a perfect bullseye on the report he'd been focusing on.

* * *

Ryan shot awake in the dark. She looked next to her seeing that Raph had already gotten up. She rubbed her eyes, not wanting to remember any dreams she might of had the night before. She threw the covers off of her and pulled on her sweats and a sweatshirt. It was usually cold and where the turtles could live with it, she was a mammal and therefore, of course, preferred heat over the cold sewer walls. But wherever Raph was, she was and so the sewers were her home and she had actually grown accustomed to it.

She walked downstairs, seeing all the turtles sitting around the kitchen table.

"Hey guys." she greeted, grabbing the chair next to Raph. Before she could sit down, Splinter raised his hand, stopping her.

"Ryan, may I speak with you in the dojo. Ryan followed him, a look of confusion plastered on her face. He just smiled, guiding her that way.

"He hasn't taken her to the dojo since..." Leo trailed off, looking at everyone again.

"Since what! Why do you keep trailing off like that Leo!" Mikey said in frustration.

"Since Shredder!" Leo and Donnie shouted at the same time.

"Okay, geez! Don't gotta bite my head off guys!" Mikey defended himself. Raph just looked at his brothers.

"What are you talkin' about Leo?" Raph asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"The last time Ryan was having nightmares, her father was after her. And now she's in the dojo with Sensai alone. The last time that happened, her father was after her. Don't you think that's a little odd?" Leo asked.

"The only thing odd here is Mikey." Raph huffed.

"Hey!" Mikey defended himself. Raph cocked his head at his younger brother, arching an eyebrow. Mikey sat back in his chair in defeat.

"Yeah, okay. I'm a little odd but that's just what makes me special!" he said with a sassy look on his face. Raph smirked, shaking his head playfully.

* * *

The shredder leaped forward at Ryan, and she gasped air before snapping her eyes open to see Splinter sitting in front of her in the dojo. He hadn't moved at all.

"Ryan, you must clear your mind." he stated, not having opened his eyes to look at her.

"But... Sensai, we tried this five years ago and it didn't work then." she argued.

"Because you were afraid to open up then. Ryan, you know us now. You must open your mind." Sensai requested.

"I... I can try." she said, aggravation still evident in her voice. She settled herself down and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

A minute passed before Ryan opened her eyes.

"Ryan, you can't meditate with open eyes." Sensai said, his eyes remaining closed.

"I'm sorry, sensai. I just... I'm so scared to close my eyes." she insisted. "I don't want to see him again." she added. Sensai seemed in thought as he rubbed his chin. Finally, his eyes sparkled and he smiled at her.

"Ryan, I have a plan. But you're going to have to trust me."


	2. Splinter's plan

Ryan lay down on the mat, a pillow beneath her head.

"Are you sure about this?" Ryan asked Splinter, who still sat indian style beside her.

"I learned this years ago. If I am able to do what I was taught, I may be able to see why these dreams trouble you. But I need you to sleep." Splinter reassured, resting a hand on her forehead. She nodded before closing her eyes. Given the hours of sleep she had gotten the night before, she had no trouble falling asleep in the dojo. Splinter felt when her body entered a deep sleep. He then closed his eyes and focused.

* * *

Donnie and Mikey were engaged in a video game on the couch. Next to them sat Leo, who was observing their playing and every now and again laughed at his brothers. Raphael sat in the chair next to the couch. He tried to focus in on the game and every once in a while, when appropriate, he cracked jokes as to what had happened on the screen. However, his mind kept trailing to the dojo.

He finally heaved a huge breath before standing up.

"Where are you going?" Leo asked. Donnie and Mikey, sensing a talk and possible fight coming on, paused their game and faced their brothers.

"They've been in there for hours Leo." Raph said, making a gesture to the dojo.

"And? You know as well as we not to enter the dojo when Splinter is in the process of training someone." Leo said simply.

"And there hasn't been a sound for hours. Even Sensai knows when his students need a break." Raph tried.

"Yes, he does and I'm sure he's giving her etiquette breaks in between training." Again, Leo said this simply. His "simple" attitude was just irritating Raph more than he already was.

"I know that Leo I just..." Raph calmed himself down mid sentence to everyone's surprise. " I just wish I knew what she was doing in there." he said calmly.

"We're just as curious Raph." Leo said.

"Yeah, I mean. I know she's your girlfriend so you're like, even more curious but, you know, it's not like we don't care about her either. She's technically our sister who isn't green and doesn't have a shell." Mikey put in, seeing a chance to speak up.

"She does fit in well. It's almost frightening." Donnie commented. Raph let a light smile come across his lips before he came to look at Leo again. Leo cocked his head to the side.

"Sit down Raph." It wasn't a command more so as a suggestion. "She'll be done before you know it." Leo promised.

"yeah, alright. Maybe you're right... fearless leader." he smirked at his older brother before sitting back in the chair. His mind still wandered to Ryan and the dojo, but he was a tidbit calmer than he had been before. Still, he wondered just_ what_ were they doing that was taking_ so long_.

* * *

Splinter opened his eyes. He was in the dojo with Ryan. Everything looked normal. Ryan was still laying there on the ground where she had fallen asleep. However, he sensed that he was in a dream. He had successfully entered _her _dream.

Suddenly, she came awake. He knew he would be invisible to her. She looked up at him and a look of terror came across her face before she let out a blood curdling scream. He was shocked.

"Ryan? Ryan, can you see me?" he asked. "Ryan, why are you screaming?" he asked. She didn't reply to him. He sensed that maybe she hadn't actually seen him and turned around. Behind him stood the Shredder.

"Shredder." Splinter said knowingly.

"Ah, the rat." the Shredder addressed, looking right at Splinter. He seemed even more shocked.

With what Splinter was doing, he should only have been able to peek in on Ryan's dream, not get involved with it.

"What are you doing here!" Splinter demanded. He had to admit, he had grown quite protective of Ryan.

"What, am I not allowed to check in on my daughter?" he asked.

"I am no daughter of yours!" Ryan said, thinking the Shredder had originally spoken to her.

"She does make a good point." he muttered to Splinter before approaching Ryan.

"You're right. You disappointed me and now you must pay for your mistake." he said, raising a clawed hand to Ryan. Ryan's eyes went wide and Splinter saw the helplessness written on her face.

"Run Ryan." he insisted.

Whether or not she had heard him, she did as he said. She got up from the mat and began to run away. She ran out the door of the dojo.

Nobody was in the lair. The couch was empty and so was the chair. Splinter kept up with Ryan as she ran up the stairs, heading for her and Raphael's room.

Raphael sat on the bed in their room. He looked up at her entrance. Like her, he couldn't see Splinter in the dream.

He saw the look of fear on Ryan's face. "Ryan, what's wrong?" he asked.

With no explanation, she ran to his side, burrowing herself under his arm. His question was answered when the shredder appeared in the doorway.

"Shredder!" Raphael sneered, pulling out his sai. The shredder seemed to chuckle.

"So, this is the turtle you left your own father's side for." The shredder said mockingly, a smirk evident on his voice.

"He's more of a man than you could ever hope to be!" Ryan barked back at her father. His smile disappeared.

"Fine, let's see how well you sleep when the turtle you love dies!" The shredder threatened, rushing towards Raphael.

"Raphael!" Splinter shouted without really thinking. He looked away, unable to watch his son's limp body fall to the floor. Blood seeped out from beneath Raphael's body.

"Raphael!" Ryan screamed, tears streaming down her face. She dropped to her knees next to Raphael's body. She rolled him over and picked him up in her arms, holding him as she rocked back and forth.

"Raph. Raph, please come back." she pleaded, resting her head on his. The blood ran across his plastron, and you could see the two marks on his chest where the shredder's spikes had punctured his body.

The shredder hovered over them, snickering.

"Pathetic." he mocked his daughter.

"You monster!" she screamed, running towards him.

Splinter suddenly realized what was happening.

"Ryan, don't!" he warned, but she could not hear him and even if she could have... she was too angry to listen.

The Shredder swung his arm back and brought it around, catching Ryan's arm. She screamed as soon as she was struck and suddenly, as if whooshed up by the wind, Splinter found himself sitting back in the dojo. Ryan was twisting and turning on the mat, clutching her left arm and screaming with pain.

"Ryan?" he asked, knowing that she had woken up and they were out of the dream.

"Sensai, help! It hurts!" she screamed.

"Ryan, hold on!" Splinter said hurriedly, rushing to the first aid kit. All awhile, he found himself frightened at the power he didn't even realize that the shredder had and he was afraid he would be unable to protect his daughter, even in her own dreams.


End file.
